Single Parenting

In the United States single parenting has become a high concern to many people. Since 1950, the percentage of children living in one parent families has nearly tripled. This percentage has increased from 22% to 51%. Exactly one in four children in the U.S. reside in a single parent home, which is 90% of the time woman headed. All though, regardless of your gender it is a challenging job to be a single parent today. Mainly, being a single parent of a newborn or toddler aged child can be both tiring, and stressful, because of financial hardships, lack of sleep, and having to play the role of both parents to the child.

Along with being a single parent comes a huge responsibility. These days the cost of raising a child is extremely high. Taking on financial responsibilities as a single parent can lead to a lot of unwanted stress in your life. You now become responsible for providing adequate healthcare insurance for yourself and also your child. After being born a baby has to go to a pediatrician for monthly checkups. In addition to that they also need immunization shots. This all can become very expensive for one parent to handle. Compared to what you were paying before it will now be twice that, sometimes even more. Childcare is also a very hefty expense. Your child has to be cared for while you are away at work, school, an appointment, or any other obligation that you have to take care of alone. This means that finding childcare is not an option. This becomes a finance that you have no choice but to work into your budget. Therefore, to many single parents taking care of a baby alone can drastically alter your financial status.

When a person is a single parent of a small baby they can never get enough sleep. This being because a newborn baby wakes up for feedings every three to four hours around the clock. Since single parents are the only one to tend to their baby you have no choice but to stay awake when the baby is awake. Whether it is three o’clock in the morning or three in the afternoon. Other times as a single parent you will lose sleep because the baby (and sometimes even toddler) is teething. When this occurs they become more wakeful during the overnight hours, so then you will have to wake up more often also. Another reason you might lose sleep as a single parent is because, after your baby or child falls asleep at night you will have so many things to finish doing that you didn’t have time to do during the day. If you are a working parent or a student you have to prepare items to be ready for the following day, like clothing, packed lunches, and items taken along with the young baby to daycare. If you are a student you will also have to finish homework or projects for your classes in the time you have left. All of these things can have an effect on how much sleep you end up getting on a daily basis.

Being a single parent you have natural instincts as a mother and